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Lizzie becomes obsessed with volunteering after a school volunteer project. Meanwhile, Gordo becomes obsessed with winning the Science Olympics, and Matt goes power crazy with his new hall monitor job.

The various obsessions of Lizzie, Matt and Gordo are driving friends, family, teachers and themselves to distraction.

Gordo is intent on winning the Science Olympics at all costs against defending champion Larry Tudgeman.

Matt becomes hall monitor at his school, and the job goes to his head when he begins giving out citations to schoolmates by the dozen. He even does his best in attempting to do the same with teachers and family members.

Meanwhile, after she and Miranda work on a successful volunteer project at school, Lizzie becomes an environmental warrior, a fanatic for collecting clothing and food for the homeless, and even a vegetarian.

Eventually, Lizzie, Gordo and Matt learn the hard way that they must put limits on their fanaticism, or else their original causes will suffer as a result.

The song "Portrait of Authority" by the Los Angeles hardcore punk/alternative rock band Bad Religion plays when Matt is first getting ready for his hall monitor job, and then giving out tickets for hall violations at school.

Matt responds to the statement “Surely, you must be joking” with the often-used gag from the 1980 movie Airplane! (where Leslie Nielson’s character says, “I am serious... and don’t call me Shirley”).

Matt: Respect my authority!

After Matt abuses his power as hall monitor one last time by giving his teacher a ticket, his teacher picks Matt up to take him to his office. As this is happening, Matt says “Respect my authority!”
It is possible that this could be a reference to the South Park episode “Chicken Lover“, when Cartman is a cop on the show Cops and continually says “Respect my author–i-ty” as he arrests various people during the show.